Sri Lanka adequately handling COVID-19, BT Poll reveals
View(s):Most respondents in an email poll conducted by the Business Times on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were of the view that local health authorities were reasonably dealing with the virus and preventing its spread in Sri Lanka. 
Asked to respond with Y (Yes), N (No) or U (Unsure) to the question that Sri Lankan health authorities were adequately dealing with the virus and preventing its spread in Sri Lanka, 68 per cent responded with a positive Y while 13 per cent said N and the balance U.
The email poll sent to a data base of over 1000 people of which 300 responded covered a cross section of society – professionals, some government officials, students, private sector CEOs, company directors and universities’ academics.
At the same time, a Ceylon Chamber of Commerce poll of the business impact of the coronavirus found that the outbreak was having a toll on the global economy with economists expecting a larger impact than the SARS outbreak in 2002-03
In the chamber poll, 49 per cent of the firms that participated in the survey stated that their businesses had been impacted by COVID-19 while 60 per cent of the members expressed that their sales had not been impacted due to the outbreak in the last three weeks compared to the same period in 2019 (January 24 -February 14 period).
The impact of the virus is felt across the world with the International Air Transport Association saying on Thursday that its initial assessment of the impact shows a potential 13 per cent full-year loss of passenger demand for carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.
As per the BT poll, to the third question on whether there is sufficient awareness for the general public on how to prevent the spread of the disease and what precautions to take, the views were mixed. Only 39.6 per cent responded with Y while the balance was broken up with N (39.6 per cent) and U (20.7 per cent).
Asked where adequate measures have been taken to screen tourist arrivals, particularly those from China particularly at airports and ports, the answers were U (37.7 per cent), N (30.2 per cent) and Y (32 per cent).
One respondent commented sarcastically saying, “I wish there was as much attention given to fighting dengue which has exacted a far greater toll on this country.”
Another said that the crisis exposed a potential problem with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority where there is a long legal process in approving importers. This was just for masks, he said adding that similar problems may exist for other drugs/medical devises in case of any future emergency.